An ethnographic account of circular demolition practices: Realising reuse potentials

Ethnographically grounded understandings of realising reuse potentials are essential to promote circularity in construction. Whereas demolition typically signifies the end of a building's service-life, some elements may still hold potential for reuse. To achieve a circular economy, where waste is recirculated as resources, it is imperative to rethink this intricate practice. Prior research highlighted many reuse barriers, but did not yet illuminate how demolition contractors navigate those. Ethnographic research methods are particularly suited to address this gap, because of their ability to unveil complex practices in dynamic project settings. This study, therefore, applies ethnography to explore how demolition contractors navigate reuse barriers in circular demolition projects. Through drawing on participant observations conducted during two pioneering projects in the Netherlands, it unpacks three essential circular demolition activities and integrates these into a process framework for realising reuse potentials. This framework links together demolition contractors' organisational activities aimed at identifying, harvesting, and distributing reusable building elements. Detailed ethnographically grounded underpinnings reveal variations in how these activities unfold over time. These insights may offer inspiration for incentivising reuse in construction. Overall, through unpacking how reuse potentials are realised, this study offers an ethnographic account of circular demolition practices that may lead to transformative action elsewhere.